


Finite

by UncleTouchyLich



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Alternate Universe - Trans, Askbox Fic, Doomed Relationship, Drabble, Feelings, Forgiveness, Growing Up, Hero Worship, Love/Hate, Past, Role Models, Short, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Trans, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Tumblr Prompt, the Marcus issue and more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 06:46:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16090244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UncleTouchyLich/pseuds/UncleTouchyLich
Summary: A moment before the blame, before Ionia, before it all when there was just a young man and a child who looked up to him.





	Finite

**Author's Note:**

> A short drabble from an anonymous request on tumblr. The only Katarina I've written with is lotus-of-noxus on tumblr who has a trans male headcanon for Katarina, so be aware of that little detail. It's not really focused on.  
> Originally posted at not-the-lich.tumblr.com , mirrored here with minor edits/additions/alterations

**T** he knife made a satisfying thunk, biting into the crude wooden target, shaking newly fallen snow to the ground. It had nestled alongside it’s brothers and sisters, vying for a place nearest the bull’s eye. This had been the closest throw yet. The child was a more than decent shot with a thrown blade, and even better up close.

“Good throw.”

Kat turned around, his breath steaming in the chill air, his face all lit up with the unexpected delight of hearing that voice. “Uncle Jericho!” He dashed through the snowy courtyard, throwing himself at the sober young man. It’s a hug that’s more of a tackle than anything, and if the boy had been older, it might have bowled him over. He pushes his cold face into the visitor's torso, grinning ear to ear, loving him with the open, clear-eyed enthusiasm of a child. 

“I’m _not_ your uncle.” He said, like a tradition, patting the promising child’s head. That always bothered him. He’d been old enough to remember their families gently negotiating a possible marriage between their eldest children. It would have ended up with the two of them betrothed. He’d early on put a stop to all ideas of an arranged marriage. Any arranged marriage. His family would continue to try, and he would only continue to resist any suggestion of a spouse of any kind. As for the plans for the two of them- it helped that their families no longer saw eye to eye in matters of state and society. Uncle was just a nickname, a joke. The eldest son of house Swain was a frequent enough visitor to the Du Couteau estate that the children had taken to teasing him with this honorary title.

“Oof! Easy there.” Jericho half-laughs, squeezed enthusiastically in a vice-like embrace. “You’ve gotten taller, Kat. And better too. Your aim has improved.”

Kat unburrows himself from Jericho’s dark coat, and grins up at him- one of the kid’s front teeth was missing. He really was growing up. “Yeah I have! I’m going to be the best. All of Noxus will fear me- watch!” He strikes a dramatic pose, hamming it up for the young man and threw a knife he’d obviously had in some pocket or sleeve or other, and it struck it’s mark, dead-center. The wooden target rattles to the ground and falling snow begins to cover it already. The lad turns to Jericho, bouncing on his heels slightly, grinning up at the familiar face- somber with dark eyes, an aquiline nose and black hair tied back in a neat and orderly way. Very different from his own bright eyes and unruly, fiery hair. “Are you gonna stay for dinner?” He tugs at the coat, hopeful. If Jericho stayed, he sometimes got to stay up a little later after dinner and they’d look at maps together or play a game or sometimes he’d get to listen to his father and Jericho talk, if it wasn’t important, boring stuff. Cass was getting old enough that she’d want to hang around too. Kat didn’t always like fighting for their guests attention, but they didn’t always have to fight. Jericho was nice like that. He wasn’t a boring adult, he listened.

“I’m sorry Kat. I can’t stay today-it was just a quick meeting with Marcus, nothing more. I’ve got to go with my family to something. You know how it is- old house obligations. All that.” He takes off his glove to ruffle the lad’s hair with his left hand, smiling apologetically. His hand is warm, friendly. “Forgive me. Maybe next time. Soon. I promise.”

Kat shakes snow from his hair and the disappointed pout from his face. “Okay… I forgive you.”


End file.
